


Axia

by fiveofswords



Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Brother/Brother Incest, Character Study, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26504137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiveofswords/pseuds/fiveofswords
Summary: After their fight against the Flame Saint and as the brozes regroup Ikki and  Shun take time to reflect on their feelings for each other.Placed after S2E8 of the original anime.
Relationships: Phoenix Ikki/Andromeda Shun
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	Axia

**Author's Note:**

> DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT;  
> I ship it, if you don't; understandable. but i do and this is my server.

He woke up with a start as if from a nightmare, although if he had been dreaming he couldn’t remember. Shun waited a moment to catch his breath, let his heart settle, glancing out of the window into the dark sky; just the previous night he’d looked at it, standing with Saori in the veranda, feeling peaceful in the knowledge that the resting place of his brother was surrounded by such a beautiful sea of stars, and tonight…

His heart leaped and caught in his throat, his brother was back, that hadn’t been a dream, had it? Shun wasn’t quite sure, he’d dreamed of having his brother back so often for so many years, the first time he’d been taken away from him again, and now–

He got out of bed quietly, wrapping a sweater around his shoulders, going out of his bedroom in the mountain villa. He smiled when he heard Seiya snore loudly in the room next to his, and walked down the hall, his bare feet silent on the wooden floors. The door to his brother’s bedroom was half open, he’d only take a peek, only to make sure it hadn’t been a dream. When he looked inside a cold chill ran through him.

“Nii-san?” Shun said quietly into the dark, pushing the door to an empty bedroom. The sickening feeling of having lost his brother once more, of having him back only in his dreams subsided when he saw the Phoenix Cloth resting in a corner of the room; a bird of prey hunched, sleeping peacefully on its perch.

Shun walked out of the room and down the stairs, if he knew his brother, and he did, he must have felt cramped inside the villa, he couldn’t be under a roof that belonged to Saori Kido and stay put, just like when they had been small children and they had sneaked out into the woods around the manor holding each other’s hand. Shun never even thought of feeling afraid of the weird forest noises or the vastness of it, the cold or the inky darkness, as long as Ikki was by his side real fear could not reach him; that had come later, when they had taken his brother away, like having half of his soul torn from him, that itchy, sickly, hollow feeling had coiled within him for years, until that day in the colosseum. 

The colosseum where his chains sparkled reluctantly under the artificial lights, the audience and even the other Saints had marveled at them as they spiraled around him; Hyoga said they looked just the Andromeda Constellation but that was not so, Shun had seen the true unhindered beauty of them glinting under the moon, looking like waves of liquid starlight, under the colosseum they only showed a wan, dulled glow; but that wasn’t surprising, they were attuned to his soul after all.

That was what had made it so puzzling at first, when they spelled Axia. His chains talking about something invaluable as they pointed to the golden armor that at best meant nothing to him, and at worst he resented; when his brother revealed himself, that had cleared it up, his chains had correctly pointed towards what was irreplaceable, what Shun treasured the most.

His older brother, his most beloved person, was lost to his hate, and how could Shun ever blame him? Shun was responsible for all of it, it was him the one who should have been sent to Death Queen Island, and yet he’d said nothing when his brother offered to take his place, could only cry and call after him as they stole him away. 

He’d followed after him with Seiya and the others, all the time planning to offer his life to him, a small price to pay if that could bring his brother back. His honorable, gallant brother who was ever so gentle, who always wiped Shun’s tears off his face with his hands. During the entire chase Shun had seen glimpses of him, under the murky surface of that overwhelming hate which couldn’t dim the glow of what Shun knew to be his brother’s true heart.

The Phoenix could have killed him so easily with that first attack, and yet he hadn’t. He’d stopped when Shun called after him as if in hesitation, and wasn’t it curious that Ikki had chosen the day of Shun’s fight to show himself. Shun had offered his life once more, he’d pleaded for his brother to return and he’d done so, just like Shun knew he would. His brother wasn’t made to be a villain. 

Shun heard every word Ikki said about his training in what was hell on earth, where Shun should have gone instead of him; about Esmeralda and her death, about how she resembled Shun in some ways.

It had been such a flitting moment after helping his brother up from the cliff, having him right in front of him, touching him and looking into his kind eyes, clear and back to what they were once, before the avalanche overtook them. If Seiya hadn’t dragged him away Shun wouldn’t have left Ikki’s side, that moment replayed in his head for weeks afterwards, “Shun” had been the last thing his brother said, he’d tried not to dwell too much on that.

Now with a relieved sigh he went out feeling the chill night breeze on his face, that brought with it the smell of the burnt wood around the villa; he found Ikki not too far away, sitting quietly looking at the sky.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Ikki chided him without looking at him

“I wondered where you were, I was afraid I’d dreamed all of it,” Shun replied sitting beside him, taking in how his brother was only wearing his tshirt “Aren’t you cold, do you want my sweater?”

Ikki shook his head,

“Can't sleep?” Shun asked

“I guess... I fear if I fall asleep the nightmare will begin again” Ikki said with vulnerability he wouldn't show to anyone else

“I won’t let it” Shun replied seriously. Ikki’s lips threatened to break into a small smile but he kept his eyes skywards

They sat for a while in a comfortable silence they knew well even though there were so many things Shun wanted to say, he wanted to drink in the moment as well, they had so few opportunities to be by themselves; there was an unnatural warmth coming off his brother, no wonder he didn’t feel the cold, his body was like a furnace, and there was a smell that clung to him now too, a bit like ash and smoke, being next to him was like looking at the cackling cinders in an open fire. Warm. Safe. 

Shun had just been in the middle of those raging flames, thinking he was going to burn to death, and then his brother was there, and the blaze hadn’t been something to fear anymore; the Phoenix’s fire would never burn him. 

Shun leaned to the side expecting to find his brother’s warmth to catch him just as he had so many times when they were younger, but he only found the cool night air as Ikki chose that moment to stand up.

“Don’t stay outside for too long” Ikki said walking back to the villa, without looking back “you should be resting after today, take advantage of Miss Kido’s benevolence, letting us rest for a few days”

“You are being mean, Nii-san!” Shun rebuked to his brother’s obvious sarcasm to which Ikki only replied with a light shrug.

Shun saw his brother walk away, he hugged his knees to himself and tried to ignore how the cold of the night was so much more biting, the prickly, burnt smell of the ruined trees around him nothing near comforting without his brother by his side.

Ikki felt Shun leaning into him before he even moved, he’d done it so often when they were children Ikki prided himself on being able to sense it before it even happened; this was the first time he’d walked away from it, he couldn’t trust himself with Shun so close, his spirit was still too raw. Ikki knew he should apologize for everything he’d put him through, he hadn’t done so properly but as he was now, newly awaken from the nightmare, he couldn’t trust himself not to blurt out more than he should. 

Having Shun touch him, a drop of his tears drip on his face, those were the things that had woke him up from an abyss where he was supposed to rot for the rest of his mortal life and perhaps even beyond it, a void from where nobody came back alive or at the very least not sane, but he’d returned for Shun as he’d promised, even if he hadn’t been strong enough at first.

Ikki entered the room that had been assigned to him – Kido’s altruism really knew no bounds – and sat on the bed feeling weary, his eyes heavy, everything in him screaming to get away from this place that belonged to Kido, break from the leash around his neck and go back outside, outside where Shun was. He groaned, a low deep rumble, and let himself fall backwards on the bed, looking at the silver reflection of the moon on the Phoenix cloth.

Was he cursed? He must have done something despicable in his previous life to deserve this punishment, he knew he loved Shun more than anything, he’d always known it, he wouldn’t trade being his brother for power or riches or an untroubled life lived away from Tatsumi, the Kidos and their foundation. He knew he’d brave Death Queen Island again to protect Shun from it, without even one moment of hesitation he’d do everything again; he wouldn’t trade being Shun’s brother, that was his rightful place, but he also knew he loved Shun as something else.

All those nights in Death Queen Island almost hoping to die but not daring to, it was Shun’s face he conjured when he needed comfort. It was his name what he called out in his delirium, in his nightmares but also in his dreams, like a spell of protection and strength.

Esmeralda had caught on it very quickly and how could she not, whenever he was hurt enough and he saw her face all he saw was his little brother, he’d clasp her hand, sometimes so hard his knuckles would go white and speak to Shun; Telling him to be strong because no matter what he’d return to him, begged for him not to forget him because he was fighting as hard as he could only to go back to him, and when he was older he’d ramble about how he loved him, and he’d ask if Shun hated him for it, if he deserved to go to hell for it, but wasn’t he already there?

“This isn’t hell, you know, no matter how much it looks like it” Esmeralda said once, always kind and selfless “And you don’t go to hell for loving someone, not the way you do–”

“But I’m –“ Ikki tried to argue, not ignorant of some of the things that had come out of his mouth although he did not remember all of them, but this was the first time either of them brought it up

“There are no buts to it, soulmates don’t reincarnate as siblings because of cruelty, they do so because they can’t bear to be apart” She interrupted him with her soft brand of determination

“Did you read that in your books?” He teased her without any real bite

“I’m just telling you what I know to be” She said simply, finishing dressing his wound “You have to become the Phoenix so you can go back to Japan, I’m sure your brother will be waiting for you” 

“You should come to Japan with me, I’m sure you two would get along”

“That’s the highest compliment coming from you, and I’d love to!” Esmeralda laughed, her lovely soft laugh, always so out of place among the clogging sulfur smell of the island “maybe I’d get to see snow there, I have only read about it in stories”

“There’s tons of snow in winter, it always makes a mess” Ikki said, glad when his comment made Esmeralda laugh again

Then she’d died and what had he done? He’d become everything he’d promised her he wouldn’t, all that he’d wanted to protect Shun from.

He’d gone back to Japan and the first thing he’d done was raise his fist against Shun, something deep inside him had held him back from doing something that would truly drive him insane, but he still carried the guilt he felt over it, together with the joy that had overcome him when he’d seen Shun’s deep green eyes, he’d wanted to hold him, to kiss him and whisper in his ear how much he loved him, he might have if they hadn’t been in the middle of a battle.

Ikki could have done so again just hours before when he’d wiped tears from Shun’s face just like he’d done so many times before, hot tears had come to his own eyes, if he couldn’t keep himself from crying he didn’t trust his resolve to keep himself from anything else.

Ikki sighed as he heard Shun’s soft footsteps walking down the hall back to his bedroom. He must go away, put some distance between them if just for a while, that had been his plan when he’d overcome the avalanche, not to run back to Shun, not right away, not when his feelings for him; his yearning for his younger brother, were crackling all over his skin; but then fire had caged him, threatened to harm him and Ikki had been smoked out of his hiding place.

Shun would be alright with Seiya and the others, Ikki had seen the way Hyoga had protected Shun, Ikki couldn’t help a wry laugh at that thought… All Ikki had wanted was to protect his little brother; that untainted depth and honesty of feeling he had, and he’d returned from hell only to do the opposite of that. Returned from hell to see Hyoga push Shun away from him to keep him safe… the way Hyoga looked at Shun… Ikki forced his jealousy down, if he wasn’t careful he’d give himself away just as easily.

So, as he closed his eyes into an uneasy sleep it was decided, he’d leave come the first light of morning.

Shun ran through the woods surrounding the villa in the dim early morning light, as he’d done most mornings since his brother was presumed dead, it had helped him think, gather his resolve to stay and be a saint that would make his brother proud, running in circles when he wanted to run away because without his brother there was nowhere else for him to go.

But this morning it wasn’t the mist what chilled his bones, but the distance he felt between his brother and himself, barely noticeable when the others were around, Shun could sense it plainly when they were alone, something in his brother was pulling away from him, leaving him out.

His brother wouldn’t look at him as he spoke and what was Shun to do? His brother had every right to resent him, that knowledge was like ice water in his bone marrow, Hyoga had told him how in Siberia the water was so cold falling into it was like falling in a pit of sharp blades all of them tearing at your flesh with every desperate movement you made, that was what he felt now, blades tearing him up from inside.

He would apologize again, if nothing else, and then –

“Nii-san…?” Shun came to a halt in the forest path, thinking at first his brother was having a morning walk through the woods until he caught the glint of his cloth. The dark circles under his eyes betraying he hadn’t slept at all, he’d only been waiting for the first morning light to start on his way.

“Shun –“

“Are you… leaving? … without saying goodbye?” Shun said trying not to sound too reproachful, if anyone had the right to go wherever he pleased it was his brother “I know it’s difficult for you to be here but I thought – I hoped – you’d stay a bit longer”

“That’s not –“ Ikki said, a weird tension in his voice “I have to go” he didn’t look at Shun, he pretended to but his gaze went past him

“Is it something I did?” Shun blurted out, looking at the ground, this wasn’t how he’d wanted to do it; he’d wanted time to collect his thoughts and apologize properly but he couldn’t let his brother go as things were “It’s my fault that you were sent to Death Queen Island, all of it, everything that happened to you is on me; and I can never apologize for it enough, I shouldn’t have let them, I just stood there and let them take you away” Tears were dripping down his face now but he couldn’t help it

“Shun, what are you saying, we were children, what could you have done?” Ikki said firmly, placing his cloth on the ground, “I would do it again, you should know that–”

“Then could you tell me, what is it? If there’s anything I can do to fix it, I will”

“It’s nothing like that, It’s not on you” Ikki’s voice sounded as if it were about to crack “It still eats at me that I could think for a second I hated you, I wounded you, I won’t ever forgive myself for that, or saying I had nothing when I still have you–” he stepped forward then stopped as if he were holding himself back, his fist clenched to his side, his nails digging into his palm

“Always, you’ll always have me” but Shun couldn’t help noticing Ikki was avoiding looking at him still “Is it because…” Shun faltered, he didn’t want to disrespect her, maybe she was too dear to his brother to even mention her, but if he didn’t ask now he would never have the courage to do so “Is it because I look like her? Esmeralda, you said we were alike… do I remind you of her? Is that why you can’t bear to look at me?”

Shun’s voice trembled, everyone was allowed at least one selfish wish, and his was not to be under the shadow of another, not to be eclipsed, not when it came to his brother.

“Shun–”

Shun flinched at the sound of his own name, there was a finality to his brother’s voice that made him afraid, when he looked up he found his brother had closed the distance between them and he was looking, really looking, right into him.

“When I look at you I don’t see Esmeralda” His brother said, softly wiping the tears off his face, as familiar a sensation as breathing “But when I looked at her I saw you all the time. I loved her because she was a mirage of you, looking at her kept me sane for so long because she reminded me you were out there, and I had promised to come back to you– even–" Ikki paused, the words sticking to his throat

"Even...?" Shun prompted gently after a few moments of silence 

Ikki swallowed thickly "Even if you can never be mine as I’d want you to–”

Shun let out half a sigh, his breath a misty ghost, he shivered as he tried to understand what he was hearing, why was his brother speaking those words with what seemed such resigned finality, as if he were lost. Shun threw his arms around his brother trying to anchor him, nuzzling against his chest, letting him warm him up, breathing in the coals and tinder smell that meant safety and home.

“But I’m yours,” Shun whispered feeling out of breath, he could hear the wild beating of his brother’s heart “I have always been, always– forever– “

Shun gathered his courage to look up at his brother, tiptoeing and gently leaning up, a sick feeling pooling in his stomach, fearing he’d misunderstood, that his brother would push him away, repulsed, but his fears were quelled by the feeling of his brother’s eager arms around his waist pulling Shun towards him as close as he could, his calloused fingers tracing Shun’s delicate jaw; his lips on his, breathing fire into his chest, making the icy blades in his marrow melt away. Their first kiss tasted like sea water, but that was just fine, salt was said to keep bad spirits at bay.

When they reluctantly broke apart, Ikki ran his thumb lightly over Shun’s prettily flushed cheek, a smile tugging at his lips, an intense triumphant look in his eyes, like a lantern near an open window, pulling Shun in. Shun’s heart fluttered like a bird that's just been released from his cage, the one he loved most loved him back in all the ways he wanted to be loved.

“Will you stay?” Shun asked softly, trying to catch his breath, he already knew what the answer would be but he asked anyway

“No” Ikki said in a hoarse whisper “Will you come with me?”

“Of course” Shun replied “To the end of the world”

* * *

NOTES:

I translated the AMAZING fic [Fragile Things](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27728471) by the Wonderful CaskaLangley. It's an Ikki/Shun Masterpiece, please give it a read!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, if you have prompts or just want to throw headcanons about these two at me I'd be delighted.


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